Bittersweet
by MaplePucks
Summary: Alfred, Survey Corps Captain is returning home for a successful mission outside of Wall Rose. His fellow Captain on the expedition is less then enthusiastic and Alfred tries to help hype him up. Only to realize there's a very good, bittersweet reason why Arthur is depressed.


**Hello! This was prompted by a friend on DA! I have another story for today but this one I just kinda whipped out on the fly. I'm pretty proud of it so, have at!**

 **Attack on Titan is still a fave of mine, no question!**

 **Comments are great!**

* * *

As the gates to the walled in city rose before Alfred F. Jones, Captain of a squad of Survey Corps members, held his head up high to greet the crowd. His horse even trotted with a bit of a spring in his step, walking into the city as if he was walking on air. It had been a successful mission out side of the Wall Rose. Well, successful by Survey Corps standards.

They hadn't taken back any land from the Titans.

But no one. Not a soul had died in the mission and that was worth celebrating.

The crowd gathered around to see his team, and Arthur Kirkland's team, return was smaller then he had expected. Yes, people hated the Survey Corps, petitioned for their disbandment every other month-waste of tax money-but come on! They had had a mission were no one died! That had to put them in the people's good books for sure! True, the people gathered were smiling and crying happy tears at the safe return but Alfred wanted-needed-more fan fair.

He opened his mouth, to hype the crowd up, tell them all the good news when he was stopped by a voice beside him.

"Don't you bloody dare, Jones. I know what you are about to do. Please, have at least a little respect for your position as Captain. We are to ride in, silent and strong, as always, nothing has changed about that." Arthur commanded beside him. Alfred's fellow Captain was a pain in the ass sometimes but he meant well.

"But, Artie! Today is special! We did real good out there!" He whined.

"Captain Arthur or Kirkland, please." Arthur strained, shaking his head. Alfred waved it away and lowered his voice.

"Why shouldn't we be loud and celebrating? It was history making, the run outside of the walls we had today!" Alfred whispered to his friend, trying to reason with him. The look of pain that spread across Arthur's face, for a moment, confused Alfred.

"Indeed...history making, for some of us." Arthur replied back, his grip on his reins tightening so much his knuckles turn white. That's when it truly dawned on Alfred and he sat back in his seat, growing quiet and somber in an instant.

The mission outside of the walls before this one had been, in a word disastrous. The joint teams had been ambushed in the open by a group of fifteen meter Titans. Not everyone had made it home from that mission. Not by a long shot. And Arthur, he had lost a member of his team far too dear to him. Alfred was unlikely to ever forget the scream of heartbreaking pain and terror that Arthur issued when he witnessed Francis Bonnefoy be grabbed, broken and then bitten in half by a Titan.

This coming home was bittersweet for Arthur. Alfred felt like a jerk in that moment.

The younger Captain let a few long silent moments pass before looking over to Arthur, trying his best at a sympathetic smile. "Francis would have been proud of today's mission, Arti-Captain Arthur." He said softly, reaching over to take Arthur's hand in support. He felt a shudder and then Arthur's muscled relaxed.

"The git was probably looking down on me the entire time, protecting me in spirit. Suppose I have a Guardian Angel now." He finally smiled, shaking his head. Alfred saw the glimmer of tears and patted his hand.

"He'd totally want you to celebrate today, you know? He was that kind of guy. Come on, I'll buy you a few rounds at the beer hall in celebration, what do you say, Captain?" He offered. Arthur took a deep breath and looked over at him.

"Arthur you can call me Arthur. And I say, you're on, Alfred."

Alfred beamed at him and nodded, turning his attention back to the crowd. He didn't yell out to them, but he waved enthusiastically. Though a seemingly impossible dream, Alfred hoped all future missions ended this way.

If it happened once, it could happen again, right?


End file.
